A non-league match was halted after protesting fans hurled rats and tennis balls onto the pitch.
The protest occurred midway through the first half of Southend’s National League clash against Maidenhead and was aimed at Shrimpers owner Ron Martin, who has overseen the club’s demise in recent seasons. After crashing into non-league in 2021, the Essex club has been struggling to stay afloat in the National League.
They have survived several winding-up orders while staff wages have regularly not been paid on time. Last month, the club was docked 10 points for breaching financial rules. Without the penalty, the Shrimpers would be in the play-off spots. Instead, they are mired in the relegation zone and face the disastrous prospect of dropping into regional football.
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Earlier this season, Southend fans hurled tennis balls onto the pitch during a game as part of a protest. They were out again on Tuesday night for the Maidenhead game, and they were joined by toy rats, a symbol of Martin’s running of the club.
The match was held up for four minutes and there was a further delay when a drone was spotted flying above the stadium. After the match, which Southend won 2-0, manager Kevin Maher defended the fans’ actions, saying they had every right to protest.
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“When people care about something then emotions come out and why shouldn’t they?,” he said, reported the Southend Echo. “We all human beings and we all want an answer and an end to what’s going on.
“Hopefully it’s a positive one and we can grow as a football club because the worst thing for me would be to lose these players, lose the staff and what we’ve got around the place.
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“That’s everyone behind the scenes too because it’s ready to take off. I really believe that and you can see it with the team and the players we’ve got we’re close to being a top, top team.”
Fans also posted cartoon pictures of rats around the city with the words ‘Ron the rat’ printed below them. Martin put the club up for sale earlier this year, but remains at the helm. The Shrimpers have until October 4 to pay off debts to HMRC or face being wound up.
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